City Government

Boise’s Top Copper Wants Your Opinion

Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson wants to hear from GUARDIAN readers regarding their thoughts about various technologies used in law enforcement today.

By MIKE MASTERSON
Boise Police Chief
cop camera
Technological gains over the last decade have allowed society and businesses to do their jobs more efficiently. Policing is no different where it often seems every new piece of technology on the market is immediately looked at by law enforcement as a solution to make our jobs easier.

Radar devices are a great example. We could have continued to expect officers to manually compute time over distance to calculate speed by picking out two fixed objects and using a stop watch to measure speed but instead we invest in technology that can perform those calculations instantly.

Policing is much different than any other business however. Looking ahead, I think we must exercise caution in what we bring to policing and more importantly the polices we create on their use. With more technology will come challenges of balancing and protecting individual privacy vs. promoting public safety. Let me preface the discussion by admitting there are no easy answers and by also acknowledging that our first priority is protecting constitutional rights.

–For example, license plate readers are in use elsewhere and I don’t think they are necessarily a bad thing. We had a reader in Boise about seven years ago and don’t have immediate plans to bring it here again. ( we leased a vehicle for $1 a year equipped with six multi directional cameras to help in recovering stolen cars but we didn’t have enough stolen cars to justify it .) Are there appropriate uses for a license plate reader vehicle , say positioned at elementary schools to monitor for sex offenders prohibited from driving in the area? How about a LPR vehicle positioned on different streets preloaded with the license plates of individuals wanted on warrant? Just serious warrants or perhaps the thousands of persons wanted here locally? Would LPR be acceptable for these uses if there was a policy on data storage, retention and use?

–While I’m not a fan of cameras for speed enforcement what about camera’s placed at controlled intersections to identify those motorists and vehicles for red signal violations? Don’t we have a legitimate interest in preventing serious injury accidents or deaths because of the careless behaviors of those who choose to ignore or “beat” the light?
Drone
–BPD doesn’t have aerial devices (drones) nor plans to acquire one. But, recent events of lost hikers in a national park have once again brought the discussion of their uses to law enforcement. Is there a difference between an ultra-light flown by a police officer vs. a remote controlled model airplane operated by a police officer ? ( yes that’s what I grew up calling them). Would we consider them for trying to locate a missing endangered child who may be in a ten block area or his house? How about an elderly person with dementia who has wandered away from their living facility?

These discussions are vitally important to have between police leaders and the community. Many of my colleagues have acquired new technology without much thought on how it impacts law abiding citizens. Thoughtful replies are welcomed and appreciated. I may not always get the opportunity to respond but appreciate people taking time to share their thoughts with me. As always, my commitment is to listen.

Comments & Discussion

Comments are closed for this post.

  1. Closer and Closer to the Fascist State, all in the name of safety and security, of which there is no promise or guarantee of either.

    I live in a community of mindless subservient sheep.

  2. Your primary problem with the public is the occasional violation of rights and trust of the public. For some of us this occurs when a copper goes roaring past us on the way to the doughnut shop… for others it is the knowledge that your department is nearly 30% of the total city budget, with some coppers whining about funding concerns knowing full well there are 200 unmarked personal vehicles used by the department as perks… for still others the violation occurs when the copper is telling a lie to manipulate a suspect… No doubt you have a file full of good examples. This problem is grossly exacerbated when obvious violations of rights and laws come to your attention and are ignored/minimizes/explained away. Nothing is a greater violation then when the obvious case is dropped on your desk only to have a BS explanation and stonewalling due to internal protections designed to mitigate frustrate and delay. Many a copper says “this is very rare” to which I say “it only takes one turd in the pool to ruin the party”. I’ve concluded that many a copper enjoys the public animosity and distrust for coppers… please be careful who you hire. Your department is better than most… but if you are contemplating making changes… Public faith and trust in your department should be the prime directive, and technology has a special way of making this image worse. I’ve personally grown tired of the departmental spokespeople who have strong ties to the local media, thus helping to sweep most of the violations of rights and other misbehavior cases quickly out of sight.

    Your cars and uniforms should not be black… black is associated with paramilitary thuggery. I also would like to see routine testing for roids and growth hormone… especially when there has been a problem with officer judgment/temperament/violence.

    Technology advancements? Buy a body camera system which cannot be tampered with or turned off. On-duty cell phone conversations should be recorded by that massive dispatch system you have, and made available if needed in courts. Coppers and prosecutors are going to have a huge problem with past conviction reversals if the NSA phone recordings are ever made available to defense lawyers.

    What are you doing with the data from license plate readers? Are officers tracking their girlfriends ((happened to two different people I know) no, not Boise) or are you using it productively to identify autos without insurance coverage? BSU has one of these cars also… what is their use for it? How long is the data stored and who has access?

    Red light cameras are a massive violation of public trust because of the HIGH error rate and massive influx of revenue to the city. For example: Which of the 6 license plates in the picture is running the light? Can’t tell? Ok, just send out 6 tickets. Team Dave will go for it, but at what cost to your image. Smart traffic light technology is now in use to keep all lights red if there is inappropriate movement at the intersection… This is a better safety mechanism then error prone robotic enforcement. Many cities have been forced to stop red-light-camera use due to public outrage.

    Radars & lasers? These are still very error prone… but due to good PR the public and courts are not aware that even simple things within the patrol cars and environment cause sensing errors… a good lawyer knows this… that’s why the bottom line is the officers still need to be able to visually estimate speeds… and put on a good show in court. The military industrial complex spends years and billions of dollars to fine tune radars on aircraft and ships. The police industry just acts like their tools are error free and have the judges convinced of this too.

    Aircraft / hellos are outrageously expensive to fly safely and effectively. There are several helo contractors in the area which can be in the air on short notice with experienced pilots and high end equipment. Your budget can’t handle doing a helo the way it needs to be done. Rent when needed. The National Guard is available to help. The recent search limitations for the missing hikers was because of the O’bamis administration trying to make the shutdown as painful as possible. The National Guard has assets at the ready as soon as the Governor says to do it. (BTW: You just wait until you need to do some heavy maintenance on that donated military vehicle… it won’t be so exciting to own after that.)

    In closing: I think most coppers are good and well intended people, but they sure do seem to turn a blind eye to those who are not. I hope you can keep your department clean as it grows. Please keep working on the reality and not just the image.

  3. Chief Masterson,

    I’d like to understand more about why an officer can shoot a dog in the back of the head when they are deemed to be threatening. Clearly a dog’s backside isn’t that threatening. If Boise is a town where cops shoot dogs that are off lease for a few moments — I’m not sure I want to live in that town.

    Respectfully submitted

  4. I think the police should start with themselves. Start by recording everything an officer says or does on duty, and make that information open and easily accessible to tax payers. Show us we have nothing to worry about. Until then, no thanks.

  5. Nan e mouse
    Nov 11, 2013, 3:03 pm

    What would I like to see?

    Ditch the black mean police cars which are designed to be intimidating. Get away from the para military stuff back to being peace officers who protect and serve. Lose the cops who have the attitude that we serve them and not vice versa.

    The cops that want to be tricked out buffed up soldiers at war, need to join the military. The cops that stay, and the higher ups, need to respect the citizens for whom they work.

  6. I’ve watch so many red light runners and no one in site to ticket them. Would be in favor of that for public safety. But I my favorite thing to get cranky about is the loud motorcycles. It’s been a state law on the books for ever and we just ignore that. WHY?

  7. Chief; thank you for your post and your interest in citizen concerns. I look forward to putting pen to paper tonight (I mean fingers to keys) and give you some thoughts.

  8. In Canyon County we are covered in cops in all directions. I can’t go from my home to the freeway (about 2 miles) without seeing at least two cop cars or more and at times as many as six of them along the way. There also seems to be a very high level of traffic enforcement with cops hiding in places that make it easy to write tickets. Downhill sections of roads and streets. How this makes any place safer is hard for me to understand. All it does is put residents on edge and telling people who visit about this potentially negative experience awaiting them when they get here.

    We have motorcycle cops in the County, Caldwell and Nampa and I question how much they fulfill the motto…”to protect and serve”. They exist for one reason to write as many tickets as they can. I can’t imagine a more boring job.

  9. Rod in SE Boise
    Nov 11, 2013, 4:44 pm

    Police forces everywhere need to be de-militarized.

    Technology such as cameras and drones replace people (jobs) and are a very un-necessary invasion of privacy.

    BPD does need to switch its traffic enforcement emphasis from speeding to red light runners. Red light runners are way more dangerous than speeders.

    ACHD needs to get rid of the new flashing yellow left turn signals. Those are just invitations to carnage.

  10. Chief,
    As is displayed in the other comments, I think BPD has bigger problems than whether to use technology in their work.

    But since you bring it up, how about a dashboard mounting cameras to video patrol officers talking on their personal cell phones while driving?

    How about a surveillance system to identify patrol officers taking naps while on duty parked next to their patrol buddy who is watching out for them?

    How about using GPS tracking of patrol cars to identify the nearest car to respond to a call instead of the one who chooses to answer the call?

    How about video cameras in all patrol vehicles to go along with audio recordings of arrests?

    How about using some software along with GPS to tell patrollers where to go to intersect a high- speed chase instead of just getting in line?

    How about using the Internet to train your officers on reasonable probable cause instead of fishing for DUI on every ‘fail to signal’?

    How about using High Definition videos for training patrollers to actually follow the rules of the road themselves instead of doing whatever they want and parking wherever they please?

    How about you, the Chief, using Skype to talk to the media instead of a paid PR person?

    How about using your internet web page to disclose police assets such the number of vehicles, purpose and usage of those vehicles?

    How about NOT using technology to travel with BSU to away games (or here games for that matter)?

    Hey Chief, you are right, there are lots of possibilities to use technology for the Boise Police!

  11. On a serious note-
    With or without technology, focus on crimes with victims.

    And train for some restraint.

    Excessive force/ excessive response/ lack of judgment hurts your brand more than any technology could ever repair it.

  12. any organization who maintains a monthly quota of writing tickets and harassing the populace, certainly does not need any further entitlement to continue to harass and annoy the public.
    Once they bring back the website, “rate my cop”, and do like the another suggestion here, and document EVERY action, word, and inaction of the cops, then maybe, MAYBE we will allow more tools for you people to harass us further. Until then do like the Marines, and live with what you got.

  13. ummmm…...
    Nov 11, 2013, 8:53 pm

    …you kinda asked for this one Masterson. Did you really expect an intelligent conversation or debate in this forum? Your department has………IMAGE problems to say the least. No one REALLY cares about technological advances in law enforcement. What individuals I talk with are interested in, among MANY issues, is how a police sgt justifies the YOUTUBE video where she does anything but shine. Or better yet what do YOU say about it? The reality is there are so many rumors….and at this point that is all they are…surrounding this department that no one really knows what to believe. One would hope this is not an attempt to focus attention away from any real and substantive issue this department may be facing…..and if the YOUTUBE video is any indication, there are SERIOUS problems in training and leadership that need to be addressed. Technology has it’s uses, but that is not the problem with the Boise Police Department.

  14. Chief,

    I agree, the number of red light cameras should increase. I see many red light violations throughout the many areas that I drive especially when someone is turning right.

    I believe that wearable body cameras, like the VieVu, would work in conjunction with the in car camera system. This gives a better insight to the criminal the officer is dealing with when not immediately in front of the patrol car.

    I don’t like the fact that the primary dispatch is on a frequency (700MHz) that prohibits your officers from talking to officers that may provide crisis assistance when their agency is using either VHF (Boise County) or 460MHz (e.g. Gem, Payette, and Elmore Counties)not to mention the Feds.
    Encryption is OK for narcotics, but not for routine dispatches, license checks (though mostly done on a computer now) fire and paramedic dispatches.

    If the uniform needed updating as some have suggested then please bring back the metal badges of yesteryear.

    Avoid buying a military assault vehicle and don’t go there when the military and DHS demand the largest city police department act like the second largest city and go for militarization (yes Nampa, I am looking at you) to “help” solve perceived slights in society.

    License plate readers are seeing very little use for stolen cars and use for “warrant sweeps” in some towns. If that is the plan then say so.

    Since the hiring of post military experienced officers from the last conflict (Iraq-Afghan) and pressuring from DHS it is no wonder many police departments are getting abusive trigger happy bullies contrary to what police administrations want us to believe. I am not pointing at your department specifically, but maybe you should rethink the hiring process.

    Contrary to what others say, I actually like the new patrol car. But is a Dodge Charger police edition really needed? Nampa is using flex-fuel cars. Other departments are seeing an increase in mileage while patrolling in these vehicles. One change I would like to see is change the stripe to go all the way across to the front, use a smaller shield within the stripe.

    Use small drones very sparingly. Once Canyon County goes “live” with theirs they will fly it 12-hours out of every 24-hour day according to a reliable source. I have also heard there is now someone in Canyon County offering a reward to shoot one down.

    Build your own website like Ada Sheriff instead of using a like Boise City website.

    Why is the police station so hard to find and why has it become next to impossible to turn in found property without filling out a witness statement with name, address, DOB, SSN and treat me like I stole the property. Next time I’ll just drop the wallet on the floor and let you deal with it.

    Thanks for this opportunity.

  15. Michael Murray
    Nov 12, 2013, 12:12 am

    Respectfully sir without commenting further, the technology needed by BPD are small body cameras much like that being used in other states. Large Departments give the bad officers too much protection just in the size of the organization. Across the nation are examples of incidents that were the incident not recorded, some police would have not been prosecuted for horrendous crimes.

  16. Flyhead,

    Canyon County Sheriff’s Office has 2 motorbike patrols which comprised the agencies STEP team (AKA Traffic enforcement). Both of these officers have not been used as STEP for well over a year and were reassigned back to patrol teams because of staffing shortages. I don’t see how you are being swamped by police cars out in the county areas. Can’t speak for the cities as I don’t know what their staffing levels look like right now.

    EDITOR NOTE–Everyone. Please stay on the topic of technology use by BPD.

  17. ACLU has a great write up on why LPR technology is a bad idea.
    https://www.aclu.org/alpr

  18. Chief;

    Thanks again for asking for our thoughts.

    I am all for back of the house technology that helps processes be more efficient, however I think the front of the house, the interaction between police and the citizens they serve, needs to remain a personal interaction, with good old fashion real community policing (walking the beat and knowing people’s names). I already feel the police are too impersonal and removed from interaction. When on break they stay in the squad cars, when talking with another officer in the field they nose to nose their cars so they can stay in the cars and chat, when police recreate, they do so with other police, they have their own work out facility to avoid the public, their own shooting range, etc….in short the police seem really good at making themselves removed from the citizens they serve, and we do not need more technology that further removes the police from interacting with the public.

    If the comments on this board are indicative of a broader community opinion, then there is a public image problem and instead of technology the police need more training in people skills, patience and public relations. Not more gadgets.

    Drones: I trust you to make sure the drones are used appropriately, but unfortunately drones and citizen surveillance is a national hot button right now and I don’t trust the system nor your successors and appreciate your reluctance to jump on that wagon.

    Agree that if the police want more technology it could be technology that holds the police equally accountable as the citizens they interact with. Dash cams, personal cams, GPS on cars that track where the police are, how many police really need to aggregate at the site of an interesting call and how long they remain on scene of a call versus getting back to the beat.

    Red light and speed cams: Not sure they are needed, I frequently see vehicles speeding right by police, not using their turn signals and other minor to moderate infractions and the police do nothing. Seems like police only like to respond to interesting calls and leave the traffic for the motorcycle officer. Instead of police getting together and chatting, or having 3-6 police respond to a call because something funny or interesting is occuring, have the police be more efficient or assign more police to traffic duty versus patrol.

    If you do go with speeding cameras, would suggest the fine is more like a parking ticket and not on your driving record. I think anyone who has the consequence of their actions be formal action against their record and insurance deserves to have a person be the “judge” and issuer of said citation, not a computer with some algorithm. No problem with speed cams, but make it just a simple fee, not a driving record infraction. Databases of technology issued citations should be separate non-linking databases from officer issued citations, and by city code electronically issued citations can not be entered as evidence in any traffic dispute case. I do not think a judge, jury or officer should be influenced when determining a penalty because of computers and robots working autonomously and issuing citations. We have got to keep the human in humanity.

    Those are my comments on technology, but I can’t help but echo how much I am concerned about the para-militarization of the local police and I think it is a slap in my face that my police department wants me to be scared and intimidated when they approach me in their black muscle cars and paramilitary uniforms and gear. I respect you, but am confused on how you let this one happen.

    Please read the Wall Street Journal article, Rise of the Warrior Cop, and see if Boise is not part of a national problem..I know police mostly deal with the bottom rung of society all day long and it erodes their faith in society when most people lie to avoid accountability, but that is the job and a problem with society, police can not advance the divide between police and citizenry because of it.

    http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323848804578608040780519904

    Kudos chief for reaching out and caring enough to solicit public opinion. Appreciate your desire to serve the public and how you try to instill that same idea in all your officers and staff.

  19. A while back there was a story on this site about coppers use of ACHD Cameras. here is my comment from that conversation.. a few years old but still applies I think

    Here is the agreement
    http://achdidaho.org/PDF/staff_reports/2010/021010/3.pdf

    Section 3 article D vii of the agreement states “The system or equipment shall not be used for any investigative purpose or surveillance of any kind whatsoever.”

    in Sara’s Blog http://www.sarabakerforachd.com/blog/?p=95 she states
    “There was a foot pursuit near St Luke’s Hospital. Since we don’t have helicopters in the Boise area, dispatchers followed the pursuee by camera and was able to help the police make the arrest.”

    This is in direct violation of the for-mentioned agreement and is grounds for termination of this agreement under section 11 a,

    The initial term of the agreement will be until September 30, 2010, with
    the option to renew annually. Perhaps it should be reviewed ya think?

  20. L.D. writes ” we will allow more tools for you people to harass us further”…

    that’s funny L.D.!

    No ‘permission’ necessary for technology or otherwise- if there is money in the budget, it will be spent.

  21. idahocrystal
    Nov 12, 2013, 11:08 am

    There seems to be an attitude that permeates LE with an us vs. them mentality – More public interaction in non-enforcement situations would go further in helping officers and public feel like they’re not BEING policed.

    I agree with others about the wearable body cameras (those with tamper-proof feeds) – These would go a long way in helping officers not only with report writing, in court and answering any complaints, but in most instances EVERYONE behaves better when they’re aware they’re on camera.

    Training would be a far more beneficial expense. Especially when it comes to animals. There are few things that will draw the public’s ire faster than the death of a pet at the hands of a cops. Stop doing this – Train officers on the many non-lethal means of subduing animals.

    I believe more cooperative efforts should be made between LE agencies. Rather than purchasing drones or specialized rescue equipment, I think it would be a lot more cost-effective and efficient to coordinate and share/rent when needed.

    Red light cameras, at this time, have a lot of issues. If you do actually generate enough revenue to pay for the cameras themselves, it would likely be lost to the cost of court-filings, device maintenance, light-timing maintenance and any third-party support.

    Thanks for asking. = >

  22. Dave and Chief

    No to any new tech until this dept can prove that it is capable of controlling the low tech assets (individuals)it already has.

  23. Foothills Rider
    Nov 12, 2013, 12:18 pm

    Most recommended technology mentioned here is more about keeping officers honest and actions transparent than it is about increasing vigilance and minimizing crime. This speaks to the greater issue mentioned by many: lack of trust currently and lack of respect shown by some officers (can’t paint with a broad brush here). As a resident with acquaintances/neighbors in varying enforcement agencies both locally and nationally, I hear how those arrested by BPD often simply clam up as they are not treated with respect, and feel no need to share anything, rights read or not. If there is evidence of a crime, it will come out…officers have no need to strong-arm a suspect, or be verbally nasty or curt. Officers should strive for mutual respect, and that starts with them. Suspects likely have kids, grandkids, wives/husbands, families, siblings, and have the usual human needs and desires… not so different than any of us. If it’s there, guilt will come out with facts; but one catches more flies with honey, as the saying goes. Be respectful, be courteous, say “yes sir” and “yes ma’am,” speak in a conversational tone to your suspects, ask some open-ended and personal questions, reduce their defensiveness, earn their respect. You will get more information and supporting facts, if not outright confessions, than by presenting yourself as the big bad a$$ who “gotcha” which closes the communication down from the start.

    Technology thoughts: red light issues are increasing, but are cameras the solution or waste of money? The problem is more a function of the ridiculously long signal cycles at some intersections that encourage red light runners who know what sort of wait is coming. Shorten signal cycles, reduce red light runners.

    EDITOR NOTE–Also increase duration of yellow light.

  24. I beleive drones should only used in emergencies or special circumstances. To be allowed to have them fly over and spy on the public, possibly equipped with infra red cameras and electronic eaves dropping devices is a violation of our rights to privacy. To find a suspect, locate lost people, assist in serving warrants where violence is anticipted, by all means. There should be a policy, like warrant, to justify their use.

    I fully support red light cameras. I have seen far too many close calls. A red light accident is too dangerous to ignore. Yes, you will have some angry people, but we’ll learn.

    Personal body cameras on police officers are a good thing. To protect the police officer from false charge and to also protect the people from abusive police. They just need to be equally utilized and enforced.

    I cannot and do not understand the policy of shoot first where dogs are concerned. If I am not mistaken you have pepper spray and tazers, correct? Isn’t it safer for everyone to tazer a dog or pepper spray it than to shoot it?

  25. I appreciate Chief Masterson’s attempt to reach out, and thank my fellow citizens for their honest and heartfelt comments – good job, people.

    As a transportation cyclist, I’d be VERY supportive of “red light cams,” as long as they are not installed and maintained by a third-party supplier for a percentage of the “take.” In order for them to be embraced by the public, you would have to avoid even the suggestion of installing them as revenue-enhancers. As long as they serve as a disincentive to run red lights, I have no problem with it. And I see people nonchalantly running red lights every day… gambling that they won’t be spotted by law enforcement, and that the people in the cross street will be slow on the gas pedal. The stakes are far too high; intersection T-bone crashes are always serious.

  26. Beyond technology monitoring the conduct of officers themselves… I would like to see something that involves cell phone and texting. I have a short 7 minute commute to work. I see at least 5 people texting while driving… each and every day. I have seen cars blow through stop signs and stop lights because they were texting. I have nearly been hit by idiots more interested in their phones than the road.

    Do something about that.

  27. Eastern-
    Agreed, I was making a poorly executed attempt at sarcasm. We live in a state where we the people must ask permission to live, yet the police do not have to ask for that same right. They hold all the power, and in cases like this Chief who “asks” us, this can easily be interpreted as an attempt to make us feel apart of the decision making of things that are inevitable anyways.
    Our fate here has all ready been decided, permission need not be granted.

  28. Here is my take on the questions asked:

    LPR: You bring up several good uses for it. My issue is data retention. Pre-load license plates for those people you are searching for (Sex offenders, warrants, stolen cars). No data retention for any plate that is not pre-loaded.

    No cameras, period. If there is not an officer there to make the call, no ticket.

    I have no problem with using a drone how you described. A convict in the area, fly the drone. Someone missing, get it in the air fast. And by drone, I am guessing you are talking about a heavier-duty RC airplane, basically.

    If there is not a reason to have the drone up, don’t put it up. Don’t let it fly over to “just see” what is out there. If there is not a target for it to find, don’t put up, period.

    Two issues. 1) Nothing that doesn’t have a person in control, and observing with their own eyes, in real time.

    2) Nothing that is not targeted. I do not want the police going for fishing expeditions. Targeted response only. The only area that I waiver a bit, is license plate scanning… but that is only for targeted plates in the system, and has an officer controlling it.

    As others have said, I would like all officers fitted with video cameras as well as audio recorders. For their protection as well as ours.

    I do like the suggestion of removing black cars, as well. Make your cars look inviting, as if you want to be part of our community. I also miss the old blue/white cars. They were easier to spot, which ALSO meant, people behaved better around them.

  29. Foothills Rider
    Nov 12, 2013, 8:26 pm

    from RIFTER:
    ” I also miss the old blue/white cars. They were easier to spot, which ALSO meant, people behaved better around them.”

    I disagree with this premise. Why should you behave “better” only when you can see (better) who is watching you, and hence change your behavior? In this light, I would rather have totally unmarked vehicles, capturing you doing stupid/illegal things because you think no one is there to see you.

    EDITOR NOTE–Thus the age-old question: Crime PREVENTION or crime DETECTION. Those radar speed signs showing “YOUR SPEED,” certainly get folks to slow down.

  30. give it a rest
    Nov 13, 2013, 12:37 am

    “Technology”? The FEDS have access to anything this agency may need in the future. For now,all the technology the BPD requires is some tape recorders to record the drunks at 6th and Main, the few bicyclists who tend to lie about just about everything, and apparently police sgts who have no understanding of 4th amendment rights or police procedure. Enough of this KRAP.

  31. Chief Mike Masterson
    Nov 13, 2013, 5:35 am

    Thank you to all who took the time to share their views and particularly to those who gave their views on technology. As you know, I tend to participate occassionally in non-traditional forums like the BG as a way to hear from the people I serve and learn their perspectives on policing issues of importance to our community.

    I do value civil discourse but I don’t’ argue and have been known to end a conversation on occasion with, “ I respect your opinion but we may ultimately have to agree to disagree.”

    Thanks for the feedback.

  32. Foothills Rider
    Nov 13, 2013, 8:58 am

    DF….and placing empty, dummy police vehicles in plain view, in key locations, also gets folks to think/change behaviors.

  33. Chief, a question what points do you disagree with?

  34. See my Whitecaps blog post dated August 26, 2005, titled The Technology Tornado – Criminal Justice Meets the Wizard of Oz. After more than eight years, it’s likely some of the embedded links are dead.

  35. @Foothills Rider: As the editor said, there is detection and prevention. In my opinion, detection, and reprimanding one person is not nearly as powerful as having several people see a police car, and take stock of what they are doing, and behave better. I have read reports that people being REMINDED of police presence gets them to behave better, for longer periods of time.

    Is catching one guy that is a bit above the speed limit on an open stretch of road as good as getting several drivers to slow down in a busier road?

    Does hiding out to detect speeders, do anything to deter the kids debating on doing something illegal out of stupidity?

    I am one that believes a police presence to remind us to be good is FAR more valuable than a secret police that instills fear and intimidation by surprise attacks.

    Even you mentioned that putting dummy police vehicles in plain view gets people to change their behaviors. I think police cruisers should be based on this concept, as well.

  36. Chief,

    This sort of action is very good police work. It’s the kind of action that just does not happen in many a large police force anymore. If you can continue to motivate your troops to engauge in “good deed” and “small stuff” police work like this, you are on the right track:

    http://www.jrn.com/kivitv/news/Stolen-purse-thrown-out-in-front-of-patrol-car-234273151.html

  37. Interested Citizen
    Dec 5, 2013, 12:39 pm

    Your best “target rich” areas for deploying your best technologies include the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Nampa PD, and the Nampa Mayor Tom Dale’s office.

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